Exceeding NQS in Quality Area 2: Health practices and procedures (Element 2.1.2)

Practical Steps Towards an Exceeding NQS Rating in Quality Area 2: Element 2.1.2

To achieve an Exceeding NQS rating in the National Quality Standard 2.1, specifically for Element 2.1.2 (Health practices and procedures), here’s an exhaustive list of practical steps based on the provided references:

Element 2.1.2: Health practices and procedures

Effective illness and injury management and hygiene practices are promoted and implemented.

Practical Steps:

1. Embedded in Service Operations (Theme 1):
   • Ensure that illness and injury management and hygiene practices are consistently and frequently implemented across all aspects of the program.
   • Ensure all educators understand and implement the service’s health and hygiene policy and procedures.
   • Maintain a hygienic environment for children, including clean toileting and nappy-changing facilities.
   • Implement a regular regime of washing children’s toys and equipment.
   • Ensure groupings of children are arranged to minimize the risk of illness and injuries.
   • Ensure educators are proactive, responsive, and flexible in using professional judgments to prevent injury from occurring.
2. Informed by Critical Reflection (Theme 2):
   • Regularly review and analyze the effectiveness of illness management practices and hygiene standards.
   • Reflect on the service’s policies on dealing with infectious disease and how they address child and staff immunization.
   • Evaluate injury management procedures, especially after an incident, as part of the quality improvement process.
   • Encourage educators to reflect on their practices and make necessary adjustments to enhance children’s health and safety.
3. Shaped by Meaningful Engagement with Families and/or the Community (Theme 3):
   • Actively seek input, guidance, and feedback from children, families, and the community regarding health practices and procedures.
   • Share ownership of health and hygiene routines and schedules with children, families, and the community.
   • Communicate with families about children’s health requirements in culturally sensitive ways.
   • Provide families with information and support that helps them follow the service’s hygiene procedures.
   • Notify families of cases of infectious illnesses in the service and provide information about the nature of the illness, incubation, and infectious periods.

Additional Considerations:

• Comply with the National Law and National Regulations underpinning Element 2.1.2, which includes regulations related to health, hygiene, safe food practices, incident management, medication administration, and more.
• Stay updated with the National Health and Medical Research Council’s (NHMRC) publication on preventing infectious diseases in early childhood education and care services.
• Ensure the availability of an up-to-date first aid kit wherever children are present.
• Maintain records of staff members’ first aid qualifications and ensure a first-aid-qualified staff member is on duty at all times.

By diligently following these steps and ensuring that the practices are embedded in service operations, informed by critical reflection, and shaped by meaningful engagement with families and the community, your service will be well-positioned to achieve an Exceeding NQS rating in Element 2.1.2.

An Example Monthly Schedule

Ready to implement these practical steps in your service? Using the constraints of 4 hours per week to work on improvements, we’ve created an example schedule below.

Given that an educator has 4 hours per week, which totals 16 hours in a month, here’s a suggested monthly schedule to prioritize and work on improving the service based on the practical steps for achieving an Exceeding NQS rating in Element 2.1.2:

Week 1: Understanding and Assessment (4 hours)

1. Research and Review (1 hour):
   • Familiarize oneself with the National Law and National Regulations underpinning Element 2.1.2.
   • Review the service’s current health and hygiene policy and procedures.
2. Self-assessment (2 hours):
   • Assess the current state of the service in terms of illness and injury management and hygiene practices.
   • Identify areas of strength and areas that need improvement.
3. Engagement (1 hour):
   • Initiate a dialogue with colleagues to gather their insights and feedback on current practices.

Week 2: Planning and Preparation (4 hours)

1. Action Plan Development (2 hours):
   • Based on the self-assessment, create a detailed action plan outlining the steps to improve the identified areas.
   • Prioritize actions based on their impact and feasibility.
2. Resource Gathering (1 hour):
   • Gather necessary resources, such as the NHMRC publication on preventing infectious diseases, first aid kits, etc.
3. Engage with Families (1 hour):
   • Send out surveys or conduct short interviews with families to understand their concerns and gather feedback on health practices.

Week 3: Implementation (4 hours)

1. Hygiene Practices (1.5 hours):
   • Implement changes in hygiene practices, such as introducing a regular regime of washing children’s toys and equipment.
   • Ensure clean toileting and nappy-changing facilities.
2. Illness and Injury Management (1.5 hours):
   • Update and refine procedures for illness and injury management.
   • Conduct a mock drill or training session for educators on new procedures.
3. Community Engagement (1 hour):
   • Organize a small workshop or information session for families and the community to share the new health practices and gather their input.

Week 4: Evaluation and Reflection (4 hours)

1. Monitoring (2 hours):
   • Monitor the implementation of new practices and gather feedback from educators and staff.
   • Check the effectiveness of the new procedures in real-time scenarios.
2. Critical Reflection (1.5 hours):
   • Reflect on the changes made, their impact, and any challenges faced.
   • Consider areas for further improvement and refinement.
3. Planning for Next Month (0.5 hours):
   • Based on reflections, set goals and priorities for the next month.

By following this schedule, the educator can systematically work towards improving their service in alignment with the NQS standards. It’s essential to remain flexible and adjust the schedule as needed based on the service’s unique needs and challenges.

Reflective Questions

Reflective questions are essential tools to guide critical thinking and continuous improvement. Here’s an exhaustive list of reflective questions tailored for Element 2.1.2 (Health practices and procedures):

Understanding and Policy:

1. How well do I understand the National Law and National Regulations related to Element 2.1.2?
2. Are our current health and hygiene policies and procedures aligned with the latest guidelines and best practices?
3. How often do we review and update our health and hygiene policies?

Implementation and Practice:

1. How consistently are our health and hygiene practices implemented across the service?
2. Are there any barriers or challenges that prevent the consistent implementation of these practices?
3. How do we ensure that all educators and staff are familiar with and adhere to our health and hygiene procedures?
4. In what ways do we actively promote and model good hygiene practices to the children?
5. How do we handle situations when children are ill or show signs of illness?

Engagement and Communication:

1. How effectively do we communicate our health and hygiene policies to families and the community?
2. Are families and the community actively involved in shaping our health practices and procedures?
3. How do we handle feedback or concerns from families regarding our health and hygiene practices?

Training and Professional Development:

1. How often do educators and staff receive training or professional development related to health and hygiene?
2. Are there any areas in health and hygiene where our team feels they need more training or support?

Resources and Environment:

1. Do we have all the necessary resources, such as first aid kits, to support effective health practices?
2. How do we ensure that our environment, including toys and equipment, is kept clean and hygienic?
3. Are there any areas in our environment that pose a health risk and need immediate attention?

Monitoring and Evaluation:

1. How do we monitor the effectiveness of our health and hygiene practices?
2. Are there any recent incidents or situations that highlighted gaps in our practices?
3. How do we ensure that any incidents related to health and hygiene are documented and addressed promptly?

Continuous Improvement:

1. Based on our reflections, what immediate changes can we implement to enhance our health and hygiene practices?
2. How do we ensure that our reflections lead to actionable steps for continuous improvement?
3. Are there any external experts or organizations we can collaborate with to further enhance our health practices?

Broader Context:

1. How do our health and hygiene practices align with the broader goals and vision of our service?
2. Are there any external factors, such as community health concerns or outbreaks, that we need to be particularly aware of and responsive to?

By regularly engaging with these reflective questions, educators and services can ensure they maintain a high standard of health practices and procedures, in line with Element 2.1.2 of the NQS.

Learning from ACEQA case studies

Let’s break down the practical steps taken by services in both case studies to achieve Exceeding NQS standards in Element 2.1.2, along with the reasons, tips, and estimated implementation time.

Case Study 1

Educators registered with a family day care service in a large local government area are supported to actively promote and support children’s health through the coordination unit. The unit conducts regular assessments of educators’ homes to ensure the health and safety of all children is protected and ensures educators follow current recommended practice and guidelines from recognised authorities.

1. Regular Assessments of Educators’ Homes:
   • Reason: Ensures health and safety of children and adherence to recommended practices.
   • Tips: Schedule periodic assessments, provide feedback, and ensure adherence to guidelines.
   • Estimated Time: Initial setup: 5-6 hours. Ongoing: 1-2 hours per month.
2. Strong Relationships and Collaborative Partnerships with Families:
   • Reason: Ensures understanding and alignment with families’ child-rearing practices, cultural beliefs, and health priorities.
   • Tips: Conduct thorough enrolment interviews, maintain open communication, and actively seek feedback.
   • Estimated Time: 2-3 hours per family during enrolment, ongoing: 1 hour per week.
3. Language Support during Enrolment:
   • Reason: Ensures clear communication with families from diverse backgrounds.
   • Tips: Identify languages spoken in the community and have interpreters or bilingual staff available.
   • Estimated Time: Initial setup: 3-4 hours. Ongoing: Varies based on need.
4. Promotion of Healthy Eating and Physical Activity:
   • Reason: Supports children’s overall health and wellbeing.
   • Tips: Share ideas on a dedicated platform, conduct regular discussions, and incorporate feedback into programs.
   • Estimated Time: 2-3 hours per week for planning and sharing.
5. Continuous Reflection and Adaptation of Sleep and Rest Practices:
   • Reason: Ensures children’s individual needs are met while adhering to safe practices.
   • Tips: Engage in regular discussions with families, update enrolment questions, and adapt policies accordingly.
   • Estimated Time: 2 hours per week for discussions and updates.

Case Study 2

This long day care service is situated in a regional city. There is considerable variation in the social and economic circumstances of families living in the city. This includes families who may be experiencing disadvantage, as well as families from a range of diverse cultural backgrounds.

1. Engagement with Local Education and Care Sector:
   • Reason: Keeps the service updated with current and emerging issues specific to the community.
   • Tips: Attend community network meetings, share insights, and collaborate on initiatives.
   • Estimated Time: 3-4 hours per month.
2. Data-Driven Decision Making:
   • Reason: Addresses specific vulnerabilities and needs identified in the community.
   • Tips: Review relevant data sources, such as the Australian Early Development Census, and plan interventions.
   • Estimated Time: 2-3 hours per month for data review and planning.
3. Engagement with Health and Wellness Experts:
   • Reason: Enhances the service’s capacity to promote physical health and nutrition.
   • Tips: Collaborate with local experts, such as personal trainers and nutritionists, to develop programs.
   • Estimated Time: 3-4 hours for initial collaboration, ongoing: 1-2 hours per week.
4. Feedback Collection from Children and Families:
   • Reason: Ensures the service’s practices align with the needs and preferences of its users.
   • Tips: Conduct regular surveys, engage in conversations, and incorporate feedback into planning.
   • Estimated Time: 2 hours per week for feedback collection and review.
5. Continuous Reflection and Adaptation of Physical Activities:
   • Reason: Ensures activities are engaging, age-appropriate, and beneficial for children’s development.
   • Tips: Collaborate with children to understand their preferences, evaluate activities, and adapt accordingly.
   • Estimated Time: 2-3 hours per week for planning and adaptation.

Implementing these steps requires a combination of initial setup time, ongoing engagement, and periodic reviews. The estimated times are approximate and can vary based on the specific needs and context of each service.